Action Plan in Progress

Action Planning Progression Timeline

Goal:

How can storytelling improve student involvement in the classroom for core and elective classes?

Action Step(s)	Person(s) Responsible	Timeline: Start/End	Needed Resources	Evaluation
1.  Speak with site supervisor regarding Active Research Topic	Teresa Bailey	8/5/13 -8/10/13	Schedule meeting with new Principal to go over internship plan and active research topic.	Approval from principal on plan.
2. Research articles and studies related to Storytelling in the classroom	Teresa Bailey	August 2013/December 2013	Internet, Library	Notes on research
3. Locate teachers who use story telling in their classroom to observe and interview	Teresa Bailey	September 2013/November 3013	Teachers already using Storytelling methods, internet, Campus Libraries	Notes from observations and interview
4. Implement in my classroom for testing purposes. Use one class as a test class and the other class without story telling.	Teresa Bailey	August 2013/June 2014	Blogging, administrative feedback from observations, walk-throughs,  peers, speak with students	Student responses, administrative feedback, test scores
5. Analyze and Interpret Data	Teresa Bailey	August 2013-June 2014	Computer, internet, gathered data	Graphs showing data collected
6. Share findings with administrators and make recommendations	Teresa Bailey	June 2014 – July 2014	Data, schedule meetings to discuss outcome	Presentation for recommendation on implementing.
7. Plan for Professional Development training	Teresa Bailey, Administration, Curriculum Specialist	July 2014 – August 2014	Powerpoint presentation, handouts,	Feedback from teachers, administration
8. Training on Storytelling	Teresa Bailey, Administration, Curriculum Specialist	August 2014 –October 2014	Powerpoint, handouts, reading material, reflection	Breakdown the art of story telling into blocks of training. Get teachers to come back the following week to discuss what they reflected on and how they used that part of the training in their classroom.

Reference:

Format based on Tool 7.1 from Examining What We Do to Improve Our Schools

(Harris, Edmonson, and Combs, 2010)

I Am Not A Superhuman Student!

I can do this, I can do this, I can do this! Why is it that the hardest class falls into place during the most difficult time in one's life! Again, I can do this, I can do this, I can do this!

This week is testing my ability to remain calm and in control! Although I I have managed to keep my wits I'm going down fast and I may find myself in a mental institution by Sunday under a constant IV drip of Xanax!

What I discovered this week and this is going to be that lesson in life that all administrators come to terms with in their own journeys some point in life. Brace yourself, this is going to shocking and enlightening all in one...I AM NOT A SUPERHUMAN STUDENT, MOM, WIFE AND TEACHER! Holly feces Batman, how can this be!

Well for one, I am completely overwhelmed with life, school, work and children. I just realized this is only a quarter of what a Principal goes through on a daily basis.  How, can you get anything important done with so many outside factors taking place and colliding all at once.

Then for second, I can not seem to find the light at the end of the tunnel that will help me find my way out and start making progress.

My advice to all, be patient and take it one step at a time. I'll keep you posted!

Diary, Journaling or Blogging...It's All the Same!

How can we as future technology leaders increase the use of blogging on campuses? Well, first it can be used for reflecting purposes. This I know first hand works great. 

Blogging was a requirement for my Alternative Certification program. I had to write a reflective blog as a first year teacher. I hated this at first, but after the first month, I really got into it. I enjoyed putting the thoughts I had down and I use it for reflecting on how I presented the lessons in my class. What worked and what didn't work. How I could do better the next time I had to present a lesson. 

If administrators use a blog to reflect on an issue they are working on, they then have a timeline of what  it took to find a solution, implement it, and tweaking it as needed. This would help them pass on this new knowledge to other administrators who may be having the same problems.

mmmm...Now I'm Thinking!

Now that I have read the first chapter of Leading with Passion and Knowledge, I have a better understanding of what Action Research is and how it benefits not only administrators but also everyone in general. I have been doing action research for a long time; I just did not know they had a term for it. I called it just being inquisitive.

Whenever I wondered about something or was interested in fixing something, I went and did the research to find a solution. I'm a fixer by nature and I am always looking to improve on what I do or how something is done. I have never waited for someone to tell me how to do something; I have always looked for the solution.

Knowing that about myself, I see the benefit of Action Research in how it allows administration to find the solutions to issues that are relevant to their needs and campus needs. Nobody understands the campus needs better than the building’s administration. Campus administrators know their communities, students, parents, and faculty.

When you only allow principals to do things that are dictated, you end up isolating them and not allowing them to grow, learn and developing skills that will give them the edge over sub standard administrators who can not think for themselves. Most campuses do better when they are allowed to be site managers and can find solutions to improve on the foundations that they developed over years.